They produced four studio albums, and their legacy is still as strong nearly forty years since they split. You can love a band but for some reason you go years without listening to them. The Smiths do not fall into this category for me, I will always be a regular listener if I am of sound mind, always will. (The way I am forgetting things that may not be long).
The opening lyric “Oh hello, I am the ghost of troubled Joe.” More like troubled Johnny as by the time Strangeways was released The Smiths were no more as Marr had walked in that summer fed up with the pressure of managing the group as Morrissey had got rid of most of their managers. Who knew Morrissey could be awkward.
We know The Smiths so all guitars, eh? No, opening track A Rush and a Push doesn’t feature one we have electric piano and Morrissey rolling his vocals, it’s brave and a departure, and marvellous. Marr had decided that it was time to expand their sound on Strangeways, it works here.
I am not so sure if Morrissey was the most easy-going man in the world that they would have continued as Marr had itchy feet and was keen to explore different sounds.
I Started Something has a thrash of a guitar and a lolloping bass line from Rourke, The Smiths were rocking out as Marr layered guitar upon guitar.
Death of A Disco Dancer starts sparce but builds and builds, it’s a song that has grown on me over the years.
Girlfriend in a Coma is a dark lyric surrounded by a glorious tune, but we all know that short and sweet.
Stop Me is a great song title, its never caught me like others but many bands would kill for this sort of material.
I love the eerie two-minute sombre piano intro of Last Night I Dreamt, a beautiful song with a passionate vocal from Morrissey. Marr may be moving on but what a guitar.
Unhappy Birthday is playful and throwaway and Paint a Vulgar Picture has become more ironic over the years “reissue, repackage, repackage,” quite.
I Won’t Share You brings the curtain down on The Smiths career, “I’ll see you somewhere, I’ll see you sometime.
8.75/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me